Dengue cases in Singapore rocketed to 9,544

Second death has been recorded.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), dengue cases in Singapore hit 9,544 cases to date.

In a release, the NEA also noted the dengue situation has worsened with weekly cases hitting a record of 820 and continues to be a major threat to Singapore. As more cases are expected, the NEA is ramping up its vector control manpower to speed up inspections and surveillance.

To bring down the population of adult mosquitoes responsible for transmitting the virus, officers will be seeking residents’ cooperation to apply ultra-low volume (ULV) misting and insecticide aerosol sprays.

Next month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and NEA will also distribute mosquito repellents to households, starting with those residing in cluster areas. MOH and NEA urge everyone to remain vigilant and perform the Mozzie Wipeout to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in their homes.

There were 820 cases reported in the week ending 8 June – the highest recorded so far. To date, 9,544 cases were reported this year, surpassing the 8,843 cases reported in the 2007 epidemic.

The agency has also been notified of the death of a dengue patient who lived at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. This is the second dengue death case this year.

The patient was a 60-year-old Singaporean Chinese male. He went to Tan Tock Seng (TTSH) emergency department (ED) on 5 June 2013 with fever, shortness of breath, vomiting and rash on his left leg.

While majority of the clusters continue to be reported in the eastern part of the island, there has been a rise in the number of clusters in the west and northern parts. This suggests that dengue transmission is intensifying in these areas.